Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."
"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....
"I dare you..."
If
anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her
mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she
protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and
forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness.
That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her
and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for
the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....
Ryan Stone is the
town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't
tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including
the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the
Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.
But what
begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth
expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and
his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get
too close is daring herself to want it all....
Overall Thoughts:
Dare You To was better than
Pushing the Limits in
my opinion. They are both phenomenal books, but Beth was strong
and mean-tempered (which I liked), whereas, Echo was more
self-conscious and hesitant yet kind. So it all depends on what your
preference is!
Dare You To is about a rebellious, dark,
aggressive young woman named Beth Risk, who is currently living with her
aunt and two best friends, Noah and Isaiah. Because her mom is an alcoholic
and drug abuser, Beth has always needed to be like a care-taker for
her, instilling into her the necessity of being strong and never letting
her guard down. Not to mention the fact that Trent, her mom's
boyfriend, physically abuses her mom as well as Beth.
Something
happens that causes Beth to end up living in a new area with her Uncle
Scott, who used to be like a father figure to her when she was younger,
but moved away. She's forced to call a town named Groveton her new home
until she graduates
high school. Then she meets a boy named Ryan Stone, who's life is seen
as utter perfection with his blond hair, wealthy parents, and good
behavior. He has trained his entire life to make it to the big leagues
as a professional baseball player and has always had his life planned
out for him by his parents.
As these two paradoxical human beings
get closer, Beth finds her life unraveling as she struggles to
understand the concept of love, or rather - the idea of someone loving
her. But suddenly, her past life of casual sex, emotional tortures, and
abusive relationships begins to catch up to her just as she was starting
to cope with her new life as Ryan's one true love.
What I liked about this book:
Beth
and Ryan's relationship was so trying and passionate and difficult.
They challenged each other in ways no one has ever done before. Also,
Beth was tough-as-nails in every single way! She was forced to always
automatically become on-guard with everyone she comes into contact with,
which has made her suspicious and mean to anyone who showed an interest
in her. Whenever Ryan told her he loved her and trusted her, she would
continue to tell him, "No, you don't. You can't love me," and be so
critical and harsh to herself, which I understand because of her
terrible past.
Another thing I found to be so endearing was Beth
and Isaiah's relationship. They are so loving of each other, and
protective of each other that most of the readers of
Pushing the Limits
thought that they were together (including me). But in the end, I'm very
happy that they each get separate books and partners because they do
truly seem best as friends.
What I disliked about this book:
Baseball
was actually very much included in this book, sort of as a sub-plot. I
know nothing about baseball, so I could have done without it. But I am
pleased that it was kept to a minimum and thought that it helped to make
Ryan's life story more dynamic and thorough.
Verdict:
Katie McGarry has a remarkable series on her hands!
The next book in this series is
Crash into You, which is Isaiah's book!!!!
5/5 TARGETS!
Excerpt:
"Hi. I'm Ryan."
Her long black hair hides her face, but her slim body with a hint of curves catches my attention. Unlike the girls at home, she isn't wearing marked-down designer labels. Nope. She has her own style. Her black tank top shows more skin than it covers and her skintight jeans hug all the right places. My eyes linger on a single rip in them, directly below her ass.
Skater girl turns her head toward me and the drive-thru. "Is someone going to take my fucking order?"
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